Table For Two, Party Of One
by xXTailoredDreamsXx
Summary: My submission to the, "A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words" contest, V-Day edition: It's Valentine's Day. A day filled with love, or epic disappointment. For Edward, his only goal is to survive his shift during the busiest night of the year. When an unaccompanied guest causes an uncomfortable situation will he crumble under the pressure or find himself making a new friend?
1. Table For Two Party of One

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Twilight or its original characters. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story._

_**A/N: **_So this was my submission to the, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, contest- Valentine's Day edition. The goal was to use a picture as a prompt and write 1,000 words or less telling a story based on your photo. I'll be honest, for a wordy-b like me, this turned out to be a ridiculously hard challenge but I was determined to conquer it... And now I'm in shock because this little story won first place in the public vote, which has absolutely blown me away. The photo I used was a manip I made, showing Bella sitting all alone at a table in the middle of a nice restaurant. In the photo, she appears to be deep in thought, looking slightly depressed. I've since written a second part, also under 1,000 words, from Bella's POV, which picks up right where this first half leaves off. I'll post it to FFN soon but please let me know what you think once you've reached the end! Many thanks to the girls who put the contest together! That was no easy task I'm sure, and they did an amazing job running it.

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**Table for Two, Party of One**

**By: xXTailoredDreamsXx**

**...Edward...**

It's official.

She's alone.

My shift is about to get all kinds of awkward, but I have nowhere to run.

It's Valentine's Day, our busiest night of the year, and our foyer is packed with guests waiting to be seated.

The moment she'd walked in I'd felt a jolt of electricity rush over me.

When she'd smiled my way, I swear time stood still.

Upon giving me the name her reservation was under I instantly knew, Jacob Black was a goddamn lucky man.

Plot twist… I was wrong.

Jacob Black, whomever he is, is an absolute potato that deserves to rot in the fiery pits of hell.

Why else would someone stand up a woman like her on a day like today?

Zero excuses.

And now, because of him, I'm the one who will have to embarrass her further by cleaning up his mess.

She's been sitting alone, sipping nothing but water for the last thirty minutes, checking her phone as if it were a source of oxygen while taking up space we desperately need.

As the maitre d' on duty, I've been tapped to handle the… situation… and I've been instructed to do so without making a scene.

Mission Impossible music begins playing inside my head.

I near her table holding my breath.

"Hello, Miss,"

Slowly, she turns her head, locking her own anxious eyes with my nervous stare.

Her bottom lip begins to quiver.

I'm in go-mode to get my job done so before I can stop myself, I ask her the question I already know the answer to, but I hope for the best.

"Are you ready to order?"

"I um… he's supposed to be here. He promised he would be here. I-I feel so stupid."

Tears begin to fall from her bottom lashes.

She doesn't look away.

On impulse, I grab a handkerchief from my pocket and offer it without saying a word.

"I'd order… bu-but… I didn't bring my wallet." She huffs, dabbing my handkerchief under her eyes and then across the bottom of her nose, "I-I feel s-s-so unbelievably stu-stupid."

This is exactly what I was afraid of.

It's also what I'd hoped to avoid.

"Please don't cry. He's a dick who doesn't deserve your tears. What can I get for you? Don't worry about the check, I'll take care of it… personally."

She blinks hard.

"Wha- wait… no! Not you! That's too kind…. You don't even know me! I could never—"

"My name is Edward. Now you know me, and I could use some good karma in my life."

Her returned smile erases everything else that's going on around us.

For a moment its as if we're the only two people in the room.

"Thank you, Edward, but I really can't accept your generosity. I'm not deserving of it."

"I won't let you say no, so accept it and tell me what you're craving, or I'll just have to choose for you."

She hesitates for a few seconds then softly orders the mushroom ravioli with a glass of Pinot.

As I walk away feeling victorious, I can feel her eyes watching me.

This is good.

I've done a good thing.

I helped someone smile by showing her there are still decent people in the world, regardless of the asshole she came here to meet.

That's bound to count for something.

The rest of the staff taunts me while she eats, insisting I've been pussy-whipped by a stranger, but I don't even care.

I'll leave here feeling accomplished tonight, knowing I helped someone feel better, rather than ruining their day even more.

For me, in this world, that's what matters most.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

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At the end of my shift, I head outside to start my walk home.

I'd missed my chance to say goodbye to the jilted woman who had taken over my every thought with her heartbroken smile and hope-filled stare.

That had been a letdown, but everything happens for a reason so I'd accepted my loss and moved on, hoping our paths might someday cross again.

I make it two blocks when something catches my eye, stopping me dead in my tracks.

It's her.

The woman from the restaurant, but she's no longer wearing her little black dress.

Her make-up has also been cleaned from her face and her hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail.

She literally looks like she's ready for bed.

When our eyes meet I can't help but notice the way she's holding her breath.

"You again?" I smile.

"Ye-yeah," she stammers, "I was hoping to catch you after your shift."

I watch silently as she pulls some cash from her pocket then offers it my way.

"Absolutely not! Tonight was on me."

She shakes her head, forcing the money into my hands, "You don't understand. I… it was… what I did... it's a con I pull on certain holidays. Usually, the restaurant will just comp my meal to avoid a scene… and usually, I don't feel so bad… but you… you paid my bill… personally... with zero hesitation. That's a level of guilt I can't accept."

My jaw drops as I process what she's telling me.

"Wait… so it was an act? All of it? But… why?"

"Let's just say I have to live a pretty creative life in order to get by sometimes."

Now I need to know more.

"And do you usually live this creative life of yours around here?"

"Sometimes." She laughs, but it's forced. "I'm stuck in a constant state of temporary, but you showed me unrequited kindness tonight, and it's been a while since I've experienced that. So thank you, Edward. What you did for me, I won't forget it."

All I'd done was buy her a nice meal with no strings attached.

Hardly anything at all, but to her, it meant much more.

"I'm Bells by the way."

"Bells?"

"Just, Bells."

"How about a coffee, _just_ Bells? From there, we can see where your creative life takes us next."

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the little twist.

Please let me know if you're interested in reading more from these two, *wink* because I've got some ideas.

Side Note: If you're waiting for a R0ADiES update, I am actively working on it and it's almost complete. Please be patient with me. Wrapping up a story is hardddddd and I want Birdie and Cullen to get the ending they deserve, not something that was rushed.


	2. Let'em Eat Cake

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Twilight or its original characters. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story._

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**Table for Two, Party of One**

**Chapter 2**

**Let'em Eat Cake**

**By: xXTailoredDreamsXx**

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**)...(Bells)...(**

_Coffee and cake make everything great._

That's what Mom used to say.

_'Empty pockets are the devil's playground'_, was another famous line… which is funny since that's exactly what brought me here tonight.

When Edward and I reach the diner at the end of the street he smiles my way and opens the door before I'm able to beat him to it.

Upon entering I notice an older woman standing in front of the counter.

She has short silver hair and there's an apron draped loosely around her hips. As soon as she spots Edward her entire face lights up and when she greets him by name with a clasp of her hands, my own grin doubles.

On impulse, I bump him with my hip, "Famous are you?"

His smile mirrors mine and his shoulders gently shrug, "Only to those who matter, Bells."

That wit... it's winning me over, but denial is everything in situations like this.

As soon as we're seated my left leg begins bouncing over my opposite knee.

_Why am I so nervous?_

This isn't like me.

Anxiety is not my friend, and more often than not, it can lead me to do some pretty questionable things.

The waitress arrives with our menus but she keeps her eyes set on my new friend.

"It's been a couple of days since we've seen your face, Edward! The book club was starting to worry about you. They'd feared that fancy college of yours had finally done you in."

He laughs over her concern but slowly shakes his head.

He's embarrassed.

It's cute.

And now I'm smiling again.

"Sorry, Ms. Cope. I've been working doubles whenever I can."

"Well, I'm happy to see you've been doing just' fine. Now, what will it be for you and your... um... late-night _friend_?"

The waitress gives me a quick once over, then waits for one of us to answer.

It's obvious she doesn't like me.

But that's okay.

Her distrust is something I'm used to when it comes to other women.

Honestly, that's why my marks are almost always men.

"Coffee, black. Thanks." I reply, then turn my head to find Edward's curious stare already watching me, but he says nothing, "Want to split a slice of chocolate cake? It looked pretty yummy on the way in."

He's so busy staring at my lips… for a moment, I wonder if he's heard a single word I've said.

"Earth-to-Edward." I eventually tease, with a snap of my fingers and playful smirk.

He blinks hard and sits up straight again, "Coffee for me as well, and we'll take a slice of your famous chocolate cake, Cope. Thanks so much." He pairs his last word with a wink from his pretty green eye and on the inside, I literally swoon.

My White Knight is handsome.

There's no denying that.

And whenever he opens his mouth to speak, he commands all of my attention… which is dangerous.

Dangerous because girls like me need to be able to focus on multiple things all at once.

Sure, I put up a good front, and I could probably sell snow boots to a stranger on a beach, but very rarely do I leave fond memories in my wake.

Edward… he's an 'innocent'… too pure… blinded by goodwill and chivalry.

Hell, if he were anyone else he'd have his hand on my thigh and I'd be sitting here trying my best to manipulate our evening toward a substantial monetary gain.

But he's not like everyone else, so I'll behave and enjoy my cake since come tomorrow, I'll be in a completely different state, able to avoid his dazzling stare.

"So, Bells. If that is your real name—"

_And here we go._

"Tell me about yourself."

I force a smile and start stacking coffee creamers into a tower in front of me, "Well… I pretty much go wherever my gas tank takes me. My truck and the belongings inside are all I have to my name, but my days are filled with adventure and very little responsibility. That's usually a nice perk in what could be an otherwise mundane kind of life."

"Wow, so you were being serious before? You really don't stay still for too long."

"Nope. Not even growing up. It was my mom who taught me to embrace freedom and mastering the art of swindles and cons. Because of that, we had to move around a lot so I've never called any place home. Prior to selling me off when I was sixteen—"

Edward's jaw instantly drops.

I knew it would.

His stare slowly narrows and with it, my right brow raises.

"Hold up! She… she _sold_ you?"

I sigh and nod my head just as Cope returns with our coffee and cake.

"It was a rough winter that year. She was… desperate. She did what she had to do to survive, and at the time she believed I'd be better off. I wasn't better off… but now that it's just me… on my own… I like to believe I'm doing alright."

Poor Edward.

He's having a difficult time processing everything I've just shared.

"Nah. You're messing with me. You lied to me before so—"

"Pft. You're already paying for my coffee and cake. I have no reason to lie."

There's a mental game of tug of war going on in his head, but I'll give him a minute to decide what he'd like to know next.

If I were to be entirely truthful, this is probably the most honest I've ever been with a perfect stranger.

It's strange I've chosen to open up to him at all, but here we are, sipping coffee and sharing a slice of cake like old friends.

"So you've never held an honest job? Or had an actual address? Not once in your entire life?"

"Nope. Never paid a penny in taxes to Uncle Sam, or received a piece of mail from a mailman. Don't get me wrong, some weeks are harder than others, but from here I'll head south where I've got something lined up that should hold me over until the summer sets in."

Edward remains silent.

There are a million and one follow-up questions dancing in his head.

"Was it that Black guy?"

His question sends coffee from my mouth.

"What black guy?" I laugh, in a failed attempt to hide my embarrassment, and then grab my napkin to clean my face.

"Your reservation tonight… it was under the name Jacob Black. Was he the one who… who bought you?"

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**A/N:** _Yeah I'm gonna be a cliffy meanie, but we will learn more about Jacob Black with the next update, I promise._

_I'd love to read your thoughts since your words are my own source of motivation. *wink* _


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